Streptococci Group B During Pregnancy

The vagina has microbiomas (flora). Its function is to protect you from the bacteria in your body that lead to infections, such as group B streptococci (GBS), also known by its Latin name: Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus is usually asymptomatic, so it is difficult to know if we have it. However, in some situations, such as during pregnancy, you should try to find out if you have it, to prevent your future baby from becoming infected.

Test of streptococci group B

Follow-up  tests are performed during pregnancy to assess a healthy test with low risk, both for mother and baby. Among them are blood tests, ultrasound and the “positive rapid test for streptococci”.

Pregnancy monitoring in the first two trimesters focuses on the proper development of the baby, and the general state of health of the mother. In the third trimester, many of the tests are aimed at the birth process, and provide as much information as possible to reduce the risk.

Around week 35, you set up an appointment with the midwife or obstetrician so that they can assess your state of health and take a positive streptococcal test.

To detect the presence of the bacterium, the doctor will take a sample of discharge from the vagina with a cotton swab. This technique is fast and painless.

Reduce the risk of group B streptococci

Group B streptococci are part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract. It can occasionally colonize your vagina or urinary tract. About 15% of pregnant women are also carriers.

It is not possible to prevent you from getting group B streptococci. As we said above, it is part of the vaginal microbiome, which means that the organism usually does not identify it as a pathogen (harmful to the body).

However, in certain situations, such as pregnancy and childbirth, you need to be extremely vigilant.

Newborns usually hit the bacteria as soon as they are born , and this poses a huge risk of infection. Healthcare professionals have the resources and protocols to reduce the risk of infection. Because of this, carriers must report the situation on arrival at the hospital.

The result takes about a week and will reach the consultation of the health personnel who did the test. It is important to get a test result on whether you have streptococci before you go to the hospital to give birth.

At the hospital

You should bring with you the papers on how the pregnancy has developed every time you go to the hospital. This is a sheet where healthcare professionals write down the results of all the tests they need to perform. There is a section with the abbreviation GBS, which stands for streptococci group B. They will write down whether the test result was negative or positive.

When you are confronted with a positive result, you must follow an action protocol. These action protocols are designed by each hospital according to their clinical practice.

The most common protocols include:

• First, doctors need to know if you have any kind of allergy to medications, especially if it is against antibiotics. You need to tell them if you have ever had reactions after taking antibiotics.
• Usually they will give an intravenous antibiotic every 4 or 6 hours (this is the most common way to treat it, although you can also do this orally) until the baby is born.
• After the birth, a pediatrician will visit the newborn every day they are in the hospital. The goal is to assess the child’s general health.

Thus, the main goal of a follow-up and a protocol, is to reduce the possible risk of infection in the baby. Knowing the results of the tests makes this easier.